UNIT 2 > MODULE 2

Lesson 1: Elements of Tags

Overview

HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. HTML is the language that has historically been used to create documents on the web. It is plain text, but includes a variety of codes or "tags" that define the structure of the document, and allow documents to include headings, paragraphs, images, links, lists, tables, and other features.

HTML has undergone various revisions over the years. Some tags have become deprecated, or old-fashioned, when new versions of HTML are developed. The emerging trend in web development is to use XHTML. XHTML is a rewrite of HTML as an XML language (see the earlier lesson on Web Standards for a refresher on these definitions). XHTML is very similar to HTML, but has stricter rules.

The instructions in this lesson teach you HTML along with the XHTML nuances so you will learn coding conventions that make your code as flexible as possible.

Learner Outcomes

At the completion of this exercise:

• you will have a basic understanding of the elements of an XHTML tag and their ordering.

Activities

1. Look over the Common Tags sheet and carefully examine the common elements.
2. Referring to the Common Tags sheet, record your responses on paper to the following questions:
   • Which tags do not need a separate tag for closing?
   • Which tag pair serves as a container for all the visible content of a web page?
   • Which tag is used to identify the main heading on a page?
   • Which tag can be either a container or non-container tag?

Resources/Online Documents

• Common XHTML Tags
• W3C HTML 4.01 Specification
• WDG Guide to HTML
• W3C Guidelines for XHTML

All done?

After you have recorded your responses to the above activity, show your instructor your response before starting Lesson 2.

Copyright © 2005-2008 by University of Washington. Permission is granted to use these materials in whole or in part for educational, noncommercial purposes provided the source is acknowledged. This product was created with support from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education (grant #H133D010306), and is maintained with support from the National Science Foundation (grant #CNS-054061S). The contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the U.S. federal government, and you should not assume their endorsement.